


Take My Whole Life Too

by strawberrylovely



Category: Shance - Fandom, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon Universe, Confessions, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, One Shot, Pre-Relationship, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Touch-Starved, shance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2019-01-07 23:21:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12242613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberrylovely/pseuds/strawberrylovely
Summary: Shiro has been through a lot and it has left him touch starved. Thankfully Lance is there to help.





	Take My Whole Life Too

"Hey, Shiro."

The black paladin turned his head towards Lance and gave a small smile before turning back to look out at the stars. It was nothing new, Lance finding Shiro on the observation deck in the middle of the night. It became a sort of habit that they both fell into. Whenever one of them couldn't sleep, they'd go onto the observation deck. And if the other happened to be having trouble sleeping as well - which happened more often than not - then they'd hang out together for hours until they were both worn out. Shiro had even carried Lance to his bed once when Lance had fallen asleep there, but Lance didn't remember being carried, only waking up in his bed the next morning. Shiro never brought it up either, so they never actually talked about it. But it happened, and Lance secretly held that information close to his heart.

"Hey, Lance," Shiro responded, staring out at the emptiness of space surrounding them.

Lance walked up beside him, a few feet apart, and stared with the older boy. They stood in silence for a few minutes until Lance couldn't stay silent any longer.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Hmm?" Shiro asked, pulled from his reverie. He looked at Lance and the younger boy just smiled at him while the question finally got through to his ears. "Oh, nothing, really. Just...thinking about space, I guess."

Lance hummed in response.

"I always wanted to travel through space," Shiro continued, "I just never thought I'd get out _this_ far."

"Yeah, me neither."

There was a small pause as both boys continued to gaze out at space.

"I miss home," Lance finally said. "It's kinda lonely out here."

"Definitely lonely," Shiro agreed.

Something in Shiro's voice made Lance look at him worriedly.

"Yeah, but... We're not technically alone," he said, trying to stay lighthearted. "We have the whole team! And all the alien races we've saved...It's almost like being back on Earth."

"I guess. It's different though. Still feels lonely sometimes."

"Hey," Lance took a small step closer and faced Shiro. "Everyone on this ship is here for you, including me. You don't have to feel alone, Shiro."

"Thanks, Lance." Shiro's mouth twitched a smile, but Lance knew it was only for show. There was something else behind Shiro's blank expression that Lance knew far too well. He was hiding something, some feeling that Lance wished Shiro would share with him.

After a few minutes of silence, Shiro glanced over and noticed Lance still staring at him. That meant Lance knew he wasn't telling him everything, which meant now he had to. He looked back out, keeping his focus on a falling star.

"I- hmm..."

"What is it?"

"I miss... human contact? Not that we all stay away from each other, or anything. But more of just human interaction in general. The hustle of daily life, walking past people on the sidewalk or in hallways. Standing next to someone in line or on a train. Sitting in the park, watching people run past you. That sort of thing."

Lance nodded, knowing exactly what Shiro meant.

"But I also... miss more... intimate moments? Like holding a baby or hugging your mom-"

"Heh," Lance grunted, knowing that feeling all too well.

"Sorry. Er, well... I was never really big in the romance department, but I also remember the excitement of talking to your crush, the butterflies you feel when you're alone with that person. First kisses. First dates. Holding someone's hand for the first time..."

Shiro brought his metal arm level to his waist and looked down at it with a small frown. He stretched and curled the fingers, trying to feel what he knew wasn't there. He missed his arm, sure. But he missed being able to touch and feel things with said arm even more.

Touch starvation wasn't something Shiro ever thought he'd actually experience. Then he was captured and tortured, his hand was taken away from him, and he had to fight for his life before finally escaping - only to be thrown back into space and stuck training and fighting for not only his, but millions of lives against the same enemies he'd thought he'd finally gotten away from. Constantly caught in some kind of battle, he never had much down time to just sit down and enjoy the company of someone. His only release had been these nights with Lance, but even they weren't enough. He needed to touch someone. To feel human again. Looking at his arm, his very _non-human_ arm, that need seemed unrealistic.

He breathed out sharply, a mix between a scoff and a laugh.

"I miss holding hands. How stupid is that?"

"It's not stupid," Lance countered.

Shiro finally tore his gaze away from his hand and looked at Lance with a mixed expression. Lance met his eyes and they stared at each other, silently trying to communicate, but the brunet couldn't understand what Shiro was trying to say.

After a couple seconds, Shiro blinked and turned his head back out to space. Lance watched him for another moment before doing the same. It was quiet again, and Lance didn't want to disrupt the silence by being the first one to break it this time. Luckily, he didn't have to.

"Can... Can I..." Shiro began. He was fighting with himself whether or not he should finish asking this question. He took a deep breath and sighed, holding out his arm towards Lance, and tried again. "Will you hold my hand?"

If Lance hadn't been the only other one in the room, he wouldn't have thought Shiro was talking to him. His voice was so quiet and it looked as if he was asking some far off being out in space. But Lance knew Shiro meant him, and he knew how hard it must have been for Shiro to have asked. So without a second thought, Lance reached over and took Shiro's right hand.

Shiro closed his eyes, still not facing Lance. His eyebrows furrowed, trying and failing to find the sensation he so desperately needed.

"I can't feel it," he said quietly.

"You can't- ?"

"I can't feel it. I won't ever be able to feel anything with that hand. Not anymore. It was stupid to think I could. I-"

He took a deep breath and straightened his back, trying to keep his composure.

Lance wasn't sure what to do. Should he let go of Shiro's hand? Shiro had asked him to hold it though, so that didn't seem like the best option. He thought for another second before finding the answer. The man's eyes were still closed, so Lance slinked in front of him without drawing attention.

Shiro was about to tell Lance to drop the matter, forget what he said, and let go of his hand, but the feeling of warm fingers gently brushing against his left hand gave him pause. His lips parted as he took in a small breath and opened his eyes to brown hair in front of him. Lance was looking down at their joined hands, and Shiro followed his gaze. Lance was holding both of his hands in his own.

"I'll hold both your hands, then," Lance said. "If you need human contact, come and find me."

"Lance-"

"I want to help," Lance smiled at him sincerely. "All you have to do is ask and I'll give it to you. Whatever you need. Use me however you want."

"Use you? I don't ever want to _use_ you, Lance."

"I just mean, I...care about you and... and I want to see you happy. So I'll give you whatever kind of contact you need, whenever you need it. If you want."

"You don't need to worry about me."

"Of course I'm gonna worry about you. I care about you, Shiro. As in, like, with feelings," the boy said shyly, looking down again.

"You have feelings for me?"

"Yes."

Shiro's eyebrows raised in surprise. He knew they'd been getting closer the past few months, and Shiro knew he'd fallen for Lance. He hadn't known Lance had fallen for him too.

"I see," Shiro smiled, though he knew Lance couldn't see it.

"So, obviously I'm going to worry about you and want you to be happy."

"Thank you, Lance. That means a lot to me. And I didn’t mean you _can't_ worry. I just don't want you to put my needs before your own. I want you to be happy, too. You deserve to get what you want without having to take care of someone else."

The boy finally looked up and met Shiro's gaze.

"What _I_ want?"

"Yes."

"I don't think I can just _get_ what I want that easily.”

"Why not?"

"Because, Shiro. I want _you_."

Lance realized what he'd just said and his eyes grew wide. He tried to correct himself, but Shiro just chuckled lightly at his blunt statement.

"It might be easier than you think,” Shiro said gently.

Lance blushed and looked away for only a moment, and a small smile was still glued on his face as he looked into Shiro's grey eyes once again.

“Then maybe I could be someone for you? Someone you can tell any and everything to? Someone you can hold when you need it? Someone who could maybe make you feel less alone?"

"Oh, Lance..." Shiro took back his human hand and cupped Lance's cheek with it. "You already make me feel less alone."

Lance leaned into the touch and brought his hand up to cover Shiro's. They shared a smile, looking at each other with new fondness before Lance curled his fingers around the hand on his cheek. He brought their fingers to his lips and pressed a kiss to one of Shiro's knuckles. Shiro hummed softly and moved their hands down to his side, changing positions and interlacing their fingers so their palms touched as they held hands.

Lance stepped closer, their chests barely touching, and wrapped Shiro's metal arm around his back. He brought his now free hand up Shiro's bicep, coming to a stop at the man's collarbone.

"Can I kiss you?"

Shiro smiled, noticing the faint nervous waver in Lance's voice, unsure whether Shiro would decline him or not.

"I thought you'd never ask," he replied.

The hand on his collarbone moved up around his head and gently pulled him to meet Lance halfway.

Lance's lips were soft and warm, just as Shiro had imagined they'd be. The boy's fingers ran through his hair as Lance pulled him deeper, and the thought that Lance would take back his entangled hand so it could join the other crossed Shiro's mind. But it never happened. Lance held tight to Shiro's hand and never let go. Even after they pulled away, their foreheads resting on each other as they panted slightly, Lance still held on.

Shiro squeezed Lance's hand in his own, loving the fact that he could feel the boy's warm skin around his. Butterflies fluttered around in his stomach, just like he'd told Lance he missed. And he realized that it was Lance that grounded him, reminding him that he was, in fact still human.

"That enough human contact for ya?" Lance teased.

"I don't think I could ever have enough from you."

Shiro moved his metal hand to stroke Lance's cheek. Though he couldn't feel it, he enjoyed seeing Lance happily lean into it.

Lance smiled at the feeling, but a tiredness started creeping into him and a yawn broke through his features.

"Someone's sleepy," Shiro smirked.

"Mhmm," Lance nodded. "Hey, do you...maybe wanna sleep in my bed tonight? I mean- You don't have to. I just thought... It might help?"

"I'd love to." 

Lance, never letting go of Shiro, pulled him along to his room. As they settled into Lance's bed, Shiro draped his arm around Lance's waist and Lance laced their fingers together lazily.

"I hope you know that I'm going to hold your hand all the time now," Lance said.

"Is that all?" came the flirty reply.

Lance looked at Shiro and then rolled onto his side to face him.

"No," he said, taking back his hand only to run his fingers through Shiro's hair and push his bangs out of his eyes. He cupped Shiro's face and kissed him again, soft and chaste.

They smiled at each other as they pulled away, both perfectly content with how the evening had played out. Lance then raised his hand near his face and splayed his fingers, silently encouraging Shiro to do the same. Shiro pressed his hand against Lance's, making sure their fingers were aligned. Lance's hands were only barely smaller than Shiro's, his fingers matching the long and thin frame of his body.

Comparing their hands like this made Shiro feel protective, wanting to keep Lance safe from any and all harm. And as Lance tilted his fingers to close around Shiro's hand, he knew the younger boy felt that way about him too.

**Author's Note:**

> tbh ngl i wrote this because i was feeling touch starved the other night and guess what? it actually helped LOL
> 
> hope you enjoyed! feel free to leave a comment if you did ;)
> 
> (yes, the title is from Can't Help Falling In Love where the chorus says "take my hand, take my whole life too" in case you were wondering)


End file.
